Can't Not
by Ravid284
Summary: Finally 17, Sasuke must now accompany the annual fox hunt. Frustrated by the village tradition, Sasuke is eager to get it over with, and unfortunately, it looks like the demon is too. [Demon!NaruSasu, AU]


Pairing: Naruto x Sasuke (Naruto is seme, Sasuke is uke.)  
Rating: R (higher later)  
Warnings: Yaoi, some violence, language  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and I'm not profiting off this.  
Summary: Finally 17, Sasuke must now accompany the annual fox hunt. Frustrated by the village tradition, Sasuke is eager to get it over with, and unfortunately, it looks like the demon is too. Beware: love is blind. Demon!NaruSasu, AU

This is for a contest that ended in September. I'm a little late.

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**_Can't Not  
_Ravid**

Chapter One  
_Windmills of Your Mind_

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When Sasuke was eight years old, he remembers that there was a place just outside his family's land that he wasn't allowed to go to. He remembers seeing the dirt path leading into the lush and welcoming forest. He remembers his parents' warnings.

And he remembers disobeying them.

In his mind, the scene is now blurry and the reasoning is unclear. It was after dinner and early evening, probably not long before he was supposed to be in bed. For whatever reason, he was alone.

The path was inviting, the forest trees were lush and green and beautiful as they always are in the late summer months. In his child's mind, Sasuke could not see the danger.

He had the lantern from the kitchen wall in his hands, but it was a while before he needed it. He walked and walked, unmindful at first of the turns and twists of the narrow path. As the sun began to set however, the world changed to Sasuke. The way was no longer clear; the tiny lantern was not enough to help him recognize the way he came from the forest ahead. It seemed that shadows moved and twisted when he turned away, and he remembers being cold.

It felt like he wandered for hours after that, although now he reasons it was only ten or twenty minutes.

Exhausted, frustrated and scared, the child-Sasuke stumbled into a clearing with a brook. He looked around frantically, finding a nest of tree roots to curl into before falling into a fitful sleep.

When Sasuke awoke, his lantern's flame was small and fragile. He recalls it flickering dangerously.

The clearing however, seemed to be illuminated, regardless of the blackness of the forest surrounding him. It scared him more than darkness.

"You picked a rather odd place to nap," whispered a smooth voice above him. Sasuke almost mistook it for a purr, smooth and gentle, but he shrunk back into the tree's protection regardless.

A man stepped out before him, crouched down and holding up a lantern bright enough to reveal both of their features clearly. Sasuke couldn't remember seeing anyone quite like him ever before. He didn't have dark hair and his eyes were light blue. Like no one else's. There were scars across his cheeks, like mock whiskers. The six slits seemed to draw attention back to his eyes.

"I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry." He held out his hand, smiling sweetly. The child-Sasuke reached out, fear dissipating. He was helped to his feet and the foreigner turned to sit at the bank of the small brook. "Come join me?" he asked, voice gentle and kind; it took a moment for Sasuke to register what he meant.

"Y-yeah," he squeaked.

He can't clearly remember all the details now. They talked briefly for a few moments, moving from insignificant topic to obvious statements until their talk stopped altogether and they sat quietly.

His legs cramped beneath him as he sat on them, back erect and head forward. He grew more nervous as time passed, and unconsciously voiced the thought that had always bugged him. "What is this place?"

The stranger chuckled, and Sasuke was mesmerized. "What, this forest? It's the Kyuubi's territory. The demon who terrorizes this land." The stranger's alluring voice now dropped even lower and Sasuke leaned in to hear. "Truthfully though, he never really visits this place. He pretty much just stays in his palace and sulks, as far as I can see."

"Sulks?" Sasuke blurted, and covered his mouth.

The stranger laughed lightly again, and Sasuke admired his smile, blushing. "Yeah, sulks. He's looking for a mate, but hasn't had any luck."

Sasuke's childhood self nodded dumbly, and realized for the first time that he was no longer afraid.

"Why can't he find someone?" he asked quietly.

The stranger looked surprised at the outburst. "Most types of demons mate for life; he wants someone for their whole, long life. Even for us humans, it's hard to find someone to settle down with. We're too quick to change. It's hard to know what you want, or if you want to settle down at all for humans…" The man released a sigh.

"Why doesn't the Kyuubi like any one? What is he looking for?"

That seemed to stump the foreigner. "I don't know."

"What would you look for?" Sasuke leaned in closer, invading the stranger's personal space in order to study his handsome features for the last time.

"Sasuke!"

They both turned to see Itachi Uchiha standing on the edge of the forest, lantern in hand. "Sasuke, get away from him!"

Itachi grabbed Sasuke's arm painfully and ran, dragging him roughly behind himself. Sasuke had turned to say goodbye to the man that had banished his fear for the night, only to find him gone and the view of the clearing being rapidly diminished.

The rest of the night passed in a blur; trees and brush wiping past his face. They ran for over an hour. Itachi eventually picked him up and cradled him against his chest, rushing back down the path with speed Sasuke never realized his older brother could possess. He fell asleep in his brother's arms after a while, and woke up in his clothes and under his blankets. Itachi never spoke of what happened.

Sasuke never took the supposed danger of the forest seriously after meeting the foreigner. Eventually, he stopped trying to find a time to sneak back in. Eventually, he realized he was never going to meet the man again. Eventually, he mistook the memory for a dream.

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Oh…! Drama! Next installment is a time jump. About ten years will pass.

Please review.


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